


Wheels Up in 30

by Angst_BuriTTo, steverogerstrash (theyvegotthisspellonme)



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: M/M, Marvel Reverse Big Bang 2020, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but again i threw most of cm canon out the window, but also lol what is canon in any sense or any fandom, post-season 11 of cm, small amounts of canon-typical violence, this fic exists in a universe where hotch morgan and alvez work with the bau at the same time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:28:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27939701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angst_BuriTTo/pseuds/Angst_BuriTTo, https://archiveofourown.org/users/theyvegotthisspellonme/pseuds/steverogerstrash
Summary: In the wake of Project Insight, two teams need to come together to figure out who's still taking out HYDRA's targets, one at a time.aka the criminal minds/captain america crossover you didn't know you needed
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 7
Kudos: 44
Collections: Marvel Reverse Big Bang 2020





	Wheels Up in 30

**Author's Note:**

> y'all i had SO MUCH FUN writing this you have no idea. this is my dream fic. huge fucking shoutout to AngstBuriTTo for giving me the excuse/push/reason to get this out of my brain and onto the page <3  
> also a huge shoutout to [RoseRose](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseRose/pseuds/RoseRose) for beta-ing this and making sure it was in readable english and generally being a delight<3

_Without heroes, we are all plain people and don't know how far we can go. - Bernard Malamud_

**_Pittsburgh, PA_ **

“We’re getting reports of some kind of structural collapse just off of Liberty Square. At this stage, it’s impossible to tell if this was an intentional attack or a freak accident.” 

The man freezes at the sound of the reporter’s voice, pulling his baseball cap further down over his eyes. All the work he’d done would be spoiled if he was discovered too early, before he could get back to the Handler. There is too much to be done now, in the wake of the Exposure, for HYDRA’s most valuable asset to be caught at the scene of an explosion. There is just one more thing to take care of. 

The Asset turns back to the man in the suit. He is unconscious, of course, hands tied behind his back. The Asset hardly blinks before putting a bullet between his eyes. 

The Asset slides the gun back into its holster as he leaves the alley, then, cracking the knuckles of his left hand, disappears into the growing crowd. It shouldn’t be hard to get back to the Handler, he thinks, switching caps. He sheds a layer as he walks, careful not to bump anyone too hard. There’s a moment, though, when he looks up, and meets the eyes of a woman walking the other way. She blinks at him once, then her eyes slide over him. The Asset lets out a breath. Time to get back to the Handler. 

**_Quantico, VA_ **

It’s not particularly unusual for Spencer to be the last one in on a BAU call, so no one questions it when he slides into his seat in the round table room seconds before Penelope was going to start the brief without him. JJ shoots him a look, but in all honesty, he’d just overslept. They’d gotten in late the night before, fresh off a case in Washington. 

“Strap in, friends, because this one’s really something.” Penelope starts, clicking the remote and turning towards the screen. “There’s been a string of bombings up and down the east coast, with the bodies of several high-profile individuals in the vicinity. There is reason to believe that the explosions were not the cause of death, however, for reasons you can see for yourself on your tablets.” She turns around as she finishes, sliding a paper file across the table to Spencer. 

“The only consistency is that each location is closer to DC, which is why we’ve been called in.” Hotch sets his tablet down, answering the question that had been on everyone’s mind. 

“Hotch, do we have any more information? A description, maybe?” JJ asks, flicking through the files on her tablet. Hotch nods.

“There’s evidence to suggest that this is the work of the Winter Soldier.” 

**_Washington, DC_ **

Steve Rogers likes to think that he’s adjusting to the future well. He has a coffee shop that he likes, a regular grocery store. Hell, he even has friends, even if they’re also technically his coworkers. In a sense. If Avenging is considered work. Steve’s not quite sure. That outside-of-work relationship, though, is why he’s not surprised to see that Natasha is the reason his phone is ringing. 

“Nat, how are you?” Steve asks. It’s been a while since he last heard from her, something to do with a top-secret mission in Asia and Steve’s own preoccupation with recent events. 

“Remember how we thought Barnes would go back to Europe as soon as he could?”

“Yeah. Sam and I were just talking about heading back out there.”

“Don’t bother. The FBI thinks he’s stateside and getting closer.”

“The FBI? Natasha, what’s going on?” 

“Don’t tell me you haven’t heard about all these bombings. I’ve been off the grid for two weeks and I know what’s going on.” 

“The FBI thinks it’s Bucky?”

“They think it’s the Winter Soldier. To them, it’s the same thing. To you, I know it’s not.” She pauses for a moment. “Look, I’m back in the states. Tomorrow we can swing down to FBI headquarters and see what they know and if there’s anything to it. Bring Wilson; it’ll be like a field trip. Stark will give us a quinjet.” 

“Are you sure? This seems a little… high profile for your tastes.” Part of Steve is teasing, but part of him wants to keep her as protected as he can, as ridiculous as it is. He can hear Natasha’s half-grin when she answers. 

“I appreciate the thought, but all my covers are blown already, remember? So let’s go fuck with the FBI. Maybe it’ll be fun.” Steve can hear the shrug in her voice before she hangs up. 

**_Quantico_ **

Sam is surprisingly willing to go on Natasha’s field trip to the middle of Virginia with little notice and less planning. For his part, Steve doesn’t know if the FBI even knows that they’re coming, or if Natasha is planning on marching into the building, demanding to speak to whoever is in charge of the Winter Soldier case. 

It turns out that it’s not an issue either way, because the head of the Behavioural Analysis Unit is waiting for them in the lobby. 

“Captain, agents. I’m Mateo Cruz, section chief of the Behavioral Analysis Unit. We heard that you’re here to help with our current case?” 

“Yes. We’re sure that your team is competent, but we thought that our firsthand experience with your suspect might be of some help.” Natasha answers smoothly. Cruz nods. 

“I’m sure they’ll appreciate any insight you have. Shall we?” He gestures to the elevators on the other side of the lobby. 

\--

The team has barely gotten settled at their desks when Hotch calls them back into the round table room. 

“Was there another explosion?” Morgan asks, not bothering to sit. Hotch shakes his head. 

“We’re getting some… outside help with the case.” He explains. Lewis tilts her head, considering. 

“As in outside the bureau?” 

“Very much so. I’m sure you’ve heard of the Avengers?” 

Before anyone can answer him, because of course they’ve heard of the Avengers, they don’t live under a rock, Matt Cruz walks into the bullpen, followed by Captain America, the Black Widow, and the Falcon. Garcia nearly falls out of her chair. 

“Why are they here?” She asks, half a whisper.

“They have firsthand experience with our suspect.” Hotch answers. From across the room, Morgan grins at her. 

“A little star-stuck over there, baby girl? Don’t tell me I have to compete with that guy.” He gestures to Captain America, laughter clear in his eyes. Garcia scoffs.

“As if anyone could compete with you.”

The rest of the conversation is interrupted when Cruz steps into the room, their guests following them in. 

“This is the team: SSAs Aaron Hotchner, David Rossi, Derek Morgan, Jennifer Jareau, and Tara Lewis, Dr. Spencer Reid, and our technical analyst Penelope Garcia.” Cruz nods to each of them in turn before he continues. “BAU, this is Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, and Natasha Romanov. They’re here to help with the Winter Soldier case.” 

Everyone in the room notices Rogers’ reaction to the title. Already tense, the captain’s posture stiffens, his face closing off. Wilson nudges him with his shoulder, leaning to whisper something in the captain’s ear. The tension leaves Rogers’ shoulders, though worry flickers across his face before that, too, is brought back under control. 

“What do you have so far?” Romanov asks, sliding into one of the empty chairs. 

“Not much,” Hotch admits. “A suspect matching the general description of the Winter Soldier: dark hair, white, about six feet tall, twenties to thirties, athletic.” As he goes over the profile, Romanov’s gaze flicks back to Rogers, whose shoulders have stiffened. 

“Who are the victims?” She asks, turning back to the screen. 

“Politicians, heads of companies, those types. No one we would have thought to be a target, honestly.” Spencer shrugs. Romanov frowns. 

“Can you send me a list of names? We should see if any of them come up in the HYDRA dump.” She rattles off a string of numbers to Garcia, who is already tapping furiously on her keyboard. 

“Sent.”

Romanov frowns, tapping at the screen of her phone. Garcia watches her, eyeing the tech she’s holding more than anything else. 

“What kind of phone is that?” She asks, mostly to herself. Romanov smirks. 

“Stark’s latest. Very secure.”

“Do you have any other suspects?” Wilson asks before Garcia can say anything else. 

“No.” Hotch admits. “We have a pretty clear shot from a security camera at the last crime scene. No face, but the other characteristics are fairly convincing.”

“Do we know enough about Bar- the Soldier to determine whether or not he’s capable of this at this time?” 

“Last we heard of him, he was pulling Rogers out of the Potomac.” Romanov offers, still frowning at her phone. 

“After the helicarrier incident.” Rogers explains. “We both fell into the river. He pulled me out of the water.” 

“We think the Soldier might be the victim of brainwashing. Someone who was captured by HYDRA and forced into carrying out their plans.” Wilson adds. Immediately, the mood in the room changes. No one outwardly reacts, but the team stiffens, not wanting to think too much about the last time they encountered someone whose MO included forcing other people to carry out their plans. 

\--

Natasha immediately notices the way the BAU team reacts when Sam mentions brainwashing. 

“Any leads on that front?” She asks. There’s a pause before Agent Hotchner answers. 

“We first encountered an unsub named Peter Lewis a few years ago. He uses a combination of drugs to force his victims to assume a new identity.” He turns to Cruz before continuing. “Sir, you might want to bring in Luke Alvez from the fugitive task force. He was instrumental in closing the Crimson King case.” 

“Got it. Good luck with this.” Cruz nods, then steps out of the room, pulling his phone out of his pocket. 

“Do you think Scratch might be behind this?” Lewis asks. Hotch sighs. 

“It’s hard to tell. We don’t have enough information to rule it out.” 

“Sounds promising. If this is the Soldier, we think he might be… lashing out, for lack of a better word.” Romanov says. “Also, all of your victims are on HYDRA lists. Some of them were part of the organization, but some of them were on their Insight target list. If this is the Soldier taking them out, we need to figure out why he’s targeting both groups.” 

“This just got infinitely more complicated.” Lewis sighs. Natasha nods her agreement. 

“I hope your friend Alvez is smart.” 

\-- 

The FBI team waiting for them hadn’t been what Steve expected, though he has to admit that his idea of the FBI might be a touch outdated. There had been no such thing as behavioral analysis the last time he’d had to be aware of law enforcement, much less an entire unit dedicated to it. A unit that was high profile enough to be taking on cases where the Winter Soldier might be involved is kind of baffling to him. 

And there it is again, that name. The way Cruz had said it was so casual, like it’s only a title. A name that doesn’t really mean anything. Part of Steve wishes that he could feel the same way. The other part is glad that he doesn’t. 

The most selfish part of Steve is glad that, however it came to be, Bucky is still alive. Still here, even though he might be out of reach. He wants to regret the suffering that Bucky had to endure, the torture and brainwashing. But part of him looks past it every time, glad that Bucky might still be his, somehow. And Steve is willing to take whatever Bucky might be willing to give, pleasant or not.

“Are you gonna tell them?” Natasha asks, looking over at Steve as they settle back into the quinjet. 

“I don’t know.” Steve admits. “I probably should.”

“You definitely _should_. But that doesn’t mean you have to.”

“They’re a qualified team, they might get there without you having to tell them.” Sam adds. Steve sighs. 

“But they shouldn’t have to.” Part of him, though, doesn't want to talk about Bucky. About how much he meant to Steve. About how much he depended on Bucky, even after the serum.

Sam had explained to him that things were different now, that people didn’t… well, that people got in less trouble now for being who they were. That it was no longer against the law for Steve to be in love with his best friend. Some things, though, were too deeply ingrained to go away even over the course of years and conversations with friends and his SHIELD-appointed therapist. 

“Either way, we’ll look into the last crime scene ourselves.” Natasha grins back at them from the pilot’s seat. “I’ve always wanted to investigate a crime scene. Legitimately.”

 **_Pittsburgh_ **

The site of the former VeraCort building in Pittsburgh is cordoned off with caution tape and surrounded by a swarm of local police. The CEO had been found on the next block with a bullet hole in his forehead. 

“Definitely effective. We’ll need the ballistics report to be sure, but this looks like it could be Bar- the Soldier.” 

“Why ballistics?” Natasha might have been ignoring the FBI agent at her shoulder, but part of her liked Spencer Reid. She wasn’t quite sure why, but part of her wanted to protect him. It might be the way that he so obviously can’t do it himself.

“The Winter Soldier uses Soviet slugs. No rifling. Impossible to trace. But if there’s marks on the bullet, we know it’s not actually him.”

“Do you want it to be someone else?” Reid asks. Natasha bites back a sigh. 

“I know someone who does.” Reid looks at her sideways, but doesn’t comment. She appreciates that. It’s hard to find people who don’t question your every move. But then- 

“Is that why you’re on this case?” 

Natasha sighs. “Might be. Does it matter?” Reid shrugs. 

“Not really. But it would make it easier for all of us if we had all the facts.”

“It’s not my place to tell you.” Natasha waves down one of the crime scene guys, nodding towards the body.

“I need to know if there's rifling marks either on the wound or the bullet, if you can find it.” 

“Uh, yes, ma’am. Right away.” The tech leans down immediately, though it’s kind of obvious that they have no way to check for at least half of what Natasha asked for at the crime scene. Beside her, Reid raises an eyebrow. 

“You’re kind of scary.” He admits. Natasha grins at him with just enough teeth to be unsettling. 

“That’s the point.”

\-- 

Sam is, somehow, more worried about Steve now than he was when the guy was getting his brains beat out by his best-friend-turned-international-assassin. The knowledge that Barnes is potentially out there, close enough to home that murders in Pennsylvania are being pinned on him, has not been good for Captain America or Steve. Because, at this point, Sam knows they aren’t really the same person, as much as Steve might want to think they are. 

The man in question is standing next to him, watching a swarm of FBI agents and Pittsburgh police move over the rubble of the building in front of them. There’s another, smaller, crime scene a few blocks down the street, where they found a body with a bullet hole between the eyes. 

“I just don’t think it was him, Sam. It’s too public, too random.” 

“I’m not disagreeing with you, man. This is… a lot.” Sam can feel the grimace on his face, but Steve isn’t looking at him. He’s watching Natasha as she nudges a body with the toe of her boot, chatting with the agent standing next to her. “And the Soldier’s usual MO seems to be a little more… subtle than exploded city blocks. Although, as far as we know, that was HYDRA’s thing and not his.”

“Does the difference matter, though? That’s what he’s used to, that’s probably what he’ll stick with, right?”

“Dude, I have no idea. Believe it or not, I’ve never had to deal with a brainwashed assassin before.”

That, at least, draws a snort out of Steve. Not quite a laugh, but like he’d considered it. Sam counts it as a win. 

**_Quantico_ **

“What do you think is really going on here?” JJ asks. Half the team had flown up to Pittsburgh with the freaking _Avengers_ , leaving the rest of the group to slot the missing pieces into place. Lewis looks up from the file she’d been reading. 

“Honestly? I have no idea. And I’m not entirely convinced that our guests are being fully honest with us, either. There’s something they aren’t telling us.”

“And if it is Scratch?” Rossi asks. The question is posed to the room in general, but it’s Hotch that answers. 

“Then we do what we always do, and hope it’s enough to bring him in this time. I know that we can, with or without outside help.” Hotch looks like he might want to say more, but his phone rings before he can say anything else. 

“Hey, buddy. How was your trip to the museum?” It’s clearly Jack on the other line, and Hotch leaves the room to continue the conversation with his son. JJ sighs as she shoots off another text to Will - high profile cases mean a lot of long nights, and while she’d love to see her boys, she knows that Will understands, even if the kids are too young to really get it. 

_From: Will_

_Don’t worry about it, J. you’ll get this guy_

JJ grins down at her phone a moment longer before turning back to the file in front of her. The newly exposed HYDRA element of their case makes her want to rip her hair out - she’d known some of the agents that worked at SHIELD, people she’d been in the academy with, contacts from her time with State… looking back, she has no idea who could’ve been in on it. Even if the files were public knowledge now, it was hard to break down the codes and encryptions on most of them - SHIELD data protection was no joke, especially since half of it was probably obtained less than legally. 

“Reid, Morgan, and Alvez are on their way back.” Hotch announces as he comes back into the room. “And apparently Captain Rogers has some more information for us about the Soldier.”

\-- 

Steve isn’t sure why he offered to tell the FBI the truth about Bucky. Maybe so they stop looking at him like he’s the only person capable of doing these things. Maybe because he just wants someone else to know the truth. Maybe because part of him isn’t entirely sure that Bucky isn’t responsible for this, and he needs help finding the truth. But Natasha and Sam both tell him that they’re proud of him, that they know this isn’t easy for him. That helps, he thinks. Not that anything will make this less difficult. 

They meet up with Reid, Morgan, and Alvez on the tarmac - the fact that the BAU has their own jet is convenient for when Steve needs to talk to just his team, but he hates to think about the impact on the planet - and head back to Quantico together. There isn’t much conversation, but the silence doesn’t feel strained, more like everyone is wrapped up in their own thoughts, focused on the case. It makes Steve feel better, actually, to know that they’re not just forcing the evidence to fit their idea of who’s behind all of this. 

They make their way back to the briefing room, where the rest of the BAU is waiting for them, files spread across the table. Steve takes a deep breath. 

“The man you’ve been looking for, the Winter Soldier, was captured in the Alps during the war. His name is,” Steve pauses, centers himself. “His name is James Barnes. We have reason to believe that he was given an experimental version of the serum used on me around the same time, though we don’t know how similar they are, just that his version seems to work similarly.”

“James Barnes?” Reid asks, setting his file down absentmindedly. “As in…?” He trails off, questioning look on his face. Steve nods. 

“Barnes was a member of the Howling Commandos… and a close friend. I have reason to believe that he’s starting to break out of HYDRA’s conditioning, but there’s no solid proof.” Steve meets Natasha’s eyes. There’s more to be said, but he’s not sure if he’s up to it. Or if she wants it shared. 

“The Soldier’s history after 1945 is… murky. At best. We know that he worked for the Soviets for a while, though it’s unlikely he was involved with anything as legitimized as the KGB. There were other Russian groups at the time, however, that might have utilized his skill set.” Natasha starts. Steve’s eyes snap back to her, but she’s looking away, pulling a set of folders out of her bag and sliding them onto the table. 

“This is most of what we know until his appearance in DC a few months ago. That incident is the only confirmed sighting in the last several years, excluding a single encounter outside of Odessa.None of this information should leave this room. I don’t care if HYDRA is licking its wounds right now, I don’t trust them. It was a big enough operation that a lot of them might still be operating underground.” 

“It’s an organization that went unnoticed for seventy years. They know how to look like they’ve been beaten.” Steve adds. He won’t let them get the best of him twice. 

“We won’t fall for it again.” Morgan’s voice is firm. The rest of the BAU nods their agreement. Steve is glad, he thinks, that they’re on this case, too. At the very least, it feels better to have the truth out there. Or at least the parts that really matter, the parts that will help them clear Bucky’s name. 

The team turns back to their files. Steve steps out of the room. 

“We need to further consider the idea that these attacks are being perpetrated by someone other than the Winter Soldier.” Hotch announces. Eyebrows raise around the table. 

“This isn’t the first time we’ve gotten it wrong about a suspect.” JJ allows. 

“We can’t afford to get tunnel vision on a case like this.” Hotch continues. “But-” He breaks off as Penelope rushes into the room.

“I have an… interesting update.” She pushes a button on the remote once, twice, then shakes it before trying the button again. A photo of Peter Lewis appears on screen. 

“I was going through the SHIELD/HYDRA file dump, which contained a frankly surprising amount of familiar names. Including Peter Lewis.” Penelope turns back to the group, eyes flicking around the table. Tara just sighs. 

“Why is it not surprising that Mr. Scratch is a member of a group of science nazis?” 

**_New York, New York_ **

“What do you mean you don’t actually think it’s Barnes?” Clint asks, frowning even though Natasha can’t see him. 

_“Some of the agents were telling me about this escaped convict, Peter Lewis. Goes by Mr. Scratch. Uses some combination of drugs to mind control his victims.”_

“Legit?”

_“Totally. Beyond that, though, explosions aren’t really Barnes’ MO. He was a sniper with Rogers, his work with the Red Room and HYDRA was mostly covert. There’s no real reason for him to deviate from that now. I don’t know. But I learned to trust a gut feeling a long time ago.”_

“Me too. Yours especially.” Clint admits. Natasha snorts. “I’ll look into it. Anyone you want me to bring in on this?” 

_“Not yet. I’ll talk to Rogers and Wilson about it. Thanks, Clint.”_

“Anytime, baby.” Clint makes an obnoxious kissy sound into the phone, but Natasha’s already gone. 

“Romanov still spurning your advances?” Tony asks from where he’s standing in front of the coffee pot. Clint makes a face - he hadn’t heard him come in. 

“Who talks like that? What year is it that people still use the word ‘spurn’?” 

“It’s making a comeback, you’ll see.” Tony shakes his mug at Clint, then swears as his coffee sloshes over the side. 

“Whatever. Go do whatever the hell spy shit Romanov asked you about, see if I care.” 

“Bye, Tony.” Clint calls, already halfway out the door. 

**_Washington, DC_ **

“I don’t think Barnes is behind this.” Natasha says, settling into her chair at Sam’s table. 

“You too, huh?” Sam asks, rustling through a drawer for takeout menus. 

“It’s not his style.” Natasha shrugs. Steve nods. 

“He’s always been a little more… subtle.” He agrees. “When I knew him.” He adds with a frown. If Sam didn’t know him better, he’d think it was almost an afterthought. 

“When I knew him too, in the Red Room. And from what we can tell, his missions with HYDRA were more of the same - keeping more distance between him and the target. Better to manipulate the fate of the world with.” 

“Okay, so who is it, then? They have pretty convincing footage.” 

“Barnes is an average white man. Can’t be that hard to find someone that looks enough like him on grainy surveillance footage.” 

“No one got a shot of his face.” Steve adds. 

“Okay, fine. But who else would be working their way down these lists?” 

“Someone inside the organization, maybe sees these men as threats. Someone who feels threatened.” 

“Or someone who feels betrayed.” 

Before Steve or Sam can say anything else, Natasha is walking out of the room, phone pressed to her ear. 

“Agent Hotchner, we have a theory.” 

Sam raises an eyebrow at Steve. 

“What’s going on with you?” He asks, sliding into the chair Natasha just vacated. Steve sighs. 

“It’s hard, not being able to help him with any of this. We were… well, he was always there for me. But the time he needed me most…” Steve huffs out a heavy breath. “I tried so hard to reach him. But there was no way- I thought about jumping after him, you know. He was everything to me. The only one who saw past everything on the outside, no matter what it was. I loved him so much, Sam. It was almost scary, sometimes. But, by whatever miracle, he felt the same way about me. So I can’t leave him, not now that I can finally help.” 

“I hear you. And if you and Romanov think it’s someone else behind these explosions, then I’m with you. Barnes doesn’t seem the type to draw so much attention to himself after finally getting off the radar.” 

“Thank you, Sam.”

Sam just nods, clapping Steve on the shoulder. There’s more they need to talk about, for sure, but they’ll get there. Sam isn’t going anywhere; he’ll be ready when Steve is. 

They’re quiet for a moment, staring across the room, away from each other. 

“I want to bring Barton and Stark in on this.” Natasha announces. “They’re both in the loop on the Barnes thing, right?” 

“I told Clint,” Steve agrees. “Not Tony. He… well. 1991.” It’s not an explanation that Sam understands, but Natasha nods. 

“Yeah. But you’re gonna have to put on your big boy pants, Steve. He needs to know.” 

“I… yeah. He does. I’ll talk to him.” 

\-- 

Natasha flies him to New York. Steve asked her several times not to, but she’d insisted it was no trouble. 

“This is an in-person conversation. Besides, I need to talk to Clint about some stuff.” 

“Thank you, Natasha.” 

She doesn’t say anything, just pushes him towards the open hatch.

It’s a short flight. Too soon, Steve is standing in front of the door to Tony’s lab, worrying the hem of his shirt between his fingers. 

“Sir, I believe Captain Rogers would like to speak with you.” JARVIS announces. 

The music stops, then Tony appears, wiping his hands on a rag. 

“Cap, what can I do for you?” 

“Tony. We need to talk about your parents.”

**_Quantico, VA_ **

“Anyone know what’s going on?” Reid asks as he settles into a chair in the round table room. Members of the team are still filing in, taking their own seats as Hotch comes in, deep in conversation with Garcia. JJ shakes her head.

“Something about new information coming in about suspects.” Lewis supplies, setting her tablet down. She looks like she has something else to say, but she breaks off as Hotch walks in. 

“I just got off the phone with Agent Romanov,” Hotch starts. The room settles immediately. “We need to revisit the idea that this is an individual or a group imitating the work of HYDRA or the Winter Soldier.”

“Or both.” Morgan adds. Hotch nods his agreement. 

“We’re waiting for another potential angle from a security feed down the street from the Pittsburgh bombing.”

“How’d you get that?” Alvez asks. 

“Working with the Avengers certainly has its perks.” Garcia answers. 

“That’s not really an answer.” 

“That’s all I’m at liberty to say.” 

**_Washington, DC_ **

The Asset would frown at the man across the street if he cared more. The Handler will want to know about him, but he’s not any particular threat to the Asset, at least not right now. The man disappears. The Asset starts off in the other direction. 

He isn’t followed back to the safehouse, so he slips in the front door quickly, making sure to throw all the locks behind him. The Handler is sitting behind his computer in the kitchen, frowning. 

“Surveillance report.” The Handler demands, gesturing for the Asset to sit in the Chair.

“The man you described is here. In DC.” The Asset reports. “I saw him.” 

“Interesting.” The Handler allows. He fits the mask over the Asset’s face. He’s aware, for a moment, of the cloying scent of bubblegum before everything goes dark. 

When he wakes up, the Handler sends him out with a new address, a new target. The Asset doesn’t question the shift from commercial to residential property. His targets are taken right from the Handler’s list either way. 

The Asset scouts the building - it’s not particularly large, he won’t have to acquire any more explosives. He settles in to wait - none of the targets are here, it would be exceedingly difficult to make their deaths look accidental. 

**_Quantico_ **

The BAU is a flurry of activity when Steve and Natasha walk in. 

“There’s been a potential Winter Soldier sighting in DC.” Garcia tells them. 

“Wilson not coming?” Morgan asks as they gather in the round table room. Steve shakes his head. 

“He’s got a day job.” He offers. Morgan laughs.

“Of course, of course.”

“- and we’ll all fit in the quinjet.” Natasha concludes, stepping into the room, Hotchner behind her. Hotch nods, then gestures for Natasha to fill everyone in. 

“The Winter Soldier was spotted this afternoon leaving a residence in DC. We’re assuming it’s some kind of HYDRA safehouse. Odds are he’s not there and won’t come back, but we need to head out there anyway. We’ll take our jet - Stark might be full of himself, but his tech’s nothing to sneeze at.”

“You all know what to do,” Hotch says, turning to address the room. “Wheels up in ten.” He nods at the team, then starts towards the door. Everyone stands up, leaving their things on the table. 

“You guys need to get suited up?” Alvez asks as the room starts to clear. Steve nods.

“All our gear is on the plane. We’ll meet you guys there.” 

Natasha is quiet as they walk towards the quinjet, though it’s obvious that there’s something on her mind. Steve doesn’t push her - he has a feeling he’s not going to like whatever she has to say. 

“This might actually be him, Steve. What happens then?” Natasha asks quietly. Steve doesn’t answer right away, taking the moment he is pulling his uniform over his head to get his thoughts together. He hears Natasha zip her suit. 

“We take him down if we need to. Hopefully it won’t come to that.” 

She doesn’t answer out loud, just nods and takes her seat in the cockpit. There’s a knock at the back, then Agent Jareau sticks her head in. 

“Everyone decent?” 

“Make yourselves at home.” Steve spreads his hands. The team files in quickly. 

“Let's get this show on the road.” Natasha murmurs. 

The trip itself is quick. It’s for the best, Steve thinks. Not enough time to think about the mission too hard. 

“Alright.” Hotch takes a minute, assessing, then speaks again. “Captain, why don’t you take Alvez and Reid around the back. JJ, Lewis, and Rossi cut off the driveway and the far side of the house with Agent Romanov. Morgan, you’re with me in front.” 

There’s nods and murmurs of agreement from around the plane. The back opens. 

“Let’s get this son of a bitch.” Morgan mutters. Alvez nods, claps a hand on Reid’s shoulder. 

“Looks like you’re with me, kid.” 

“Ready for this?” Natasha asks. It’s all Steve can do not to jump - he hadn’t heard her come up behind him. He nods. 

“As I’ll ever be.” He takes the shield down from its hook and slides it into place on his back. 

Steve can hear the moment Morgan kicks the door in. Beside him, Alvez tenses, gearing up for a chase. Reid shifts his weight. Steve can tell he’s uncomfortable with the gun, but it’s also pretty clear that he knows how to use it if he needs to. 

There’s a quick flash from an upstairs window, like the light hit something as it moved. 

“Nat, check upstairs. I think I saw something.” Steve mutters. 

_“Got it.”_ Natasha’s voice comes back crackley over the comms. Steve watches as she pulls herself onto the porch covering, then through a second-story window. Alvez lets out a low whistle.

“Damn.” 

Steve just nods his agreement. 

_“Steve, you might want to come up here.”_ Natasha says carefully. 

“You good down here?” Steve asks, hardly waiting for an answer before he heads towards the house. 

Natasha is waiting for him at the top of the stairs. 

“Am I going to like whatever you just found?” 

“Come find out.” She leads him to one of the bedrooms. It’s sparsely decorated, but the bed looks slept in, and there are papers scattered across the desk. On top is a SHIELD file. 

“This SHIELD or HYDRA?” Steve asks.

“Does it matter?” 

“Guess not.” 

The photo on top is one Steve’s seen before, of Bucky in a cryo chamber. 

“What does this mean?” 

“Could be anything. But the fact that they’re arresting Peter Lewis in the kitchen leads me to believe that Barnes isn’t our man on this one. You were right.” 

Steve nods. The relief he’d been expecting doesn’t come, though. 

\-- 

There’s something satisfying about seeing Scratch in handcuffs, being pushed into the back of a cop car.

“Think it’ll stick this time?” Lewis asks, nodding towards the car. JJ shrugs. 

“I really, really hope so.” She sighs. “Where do you think his victim is, though? There has to be someone out there, his whole setup is here. Mask, table, empty gas tanks…” 

“I don’t know. But we’ll find him.” 

**_New York_ **

“Still nothing on Barnes, nothing on the guy _impersonating_ Barnes. Look, Tasha, I think we should rope Stark in on this. He’s handy. Good in a crisis.” Clint sighs into the phone. It’s wedged between his ear and his shoulder - he needs both hands to open the door to his apartment. 

_“If you think we can trust him. I trust your judgement on this. Rogers already talked to him, so it’s your call.”_

“Can’t imagine that _that_ was a fun conversation.” 

_“Neither of them looked happy afterwards.”_ Natasha allows. Clint is equally sure that there’s a story there and that he’ll never hear it. 

“Alright, I’m gonna talk to him. Later, Nat.” 

The phone clicks - Natasha never says goodbye - as Clint shoulders out of his building. The air bites at his cheeks, but he just shoves his hands deeper into his pockets, hunches his shoulders. The nearest subway entrance isn’t too far, and he needs to get to Manhattan ASAP. 

**_Washington, DC_ **

Steve sighs as he locks his apartment door. The past few days - weeks, even - have been exhausting, not in the least because he hasn’t had a chance to really stop since the Insight fiasco. Add in the fact that it’s not done yet, that he’s put in all this time and still has almost nothing to show for it… he’s tired. And Steve is glad that he helped to get a dangerous criminal off the streets, is always happy to help where he’s needed. But his work isn’t done, not yet. 

He’s about to settle into bed when he smells smoke. He and Natasha had discussed, earlier, that the person being set up as the Winter Soldier might have a contingency plan. Or that Peter Lewis was giving himself up on purpose, as a distraction. 

He’s out in the hall in a moment, pounding on Sharon Carter’s door. She opens the door with her weapon drawn.

“Captain?” 

“The building’s on fire. There’s… I think it’s connected to something I’ve been working on with Romanov. Get everyone out, then call her.”

Sharon nods sharply. “Will do.”

Steve takes off - if he’s right about this, Lewis’ patsy will be nearby, looking for him. 

The man tackles him almost as soon as Steve steps out the door. 

_Well,_ Steve thinks, fleetingly, _at least I don’t have to go looking for him_. 

The fight is quick - the man doesn’t have anywhere near the amount of training that Steve does, though it’s fairly obvious that someone, somewhere taught him to fight. 

“Who are you?” Steve asks, dodging a punch. 

“HYDRA’s greatest weapon.” 

“Of course you are.” 

The man who thinks he’s the Winter Soldier startles when the building’s residents start flooding onto the street, giving Steve the opening he needs. The man drops, stunned. The building explodes. 

\-- 

“What do you mean he’s in the hospital?” Natasha bites out. 

_“Just got the call. His building exploded last night. Did you know I’m his emergency contact?”_ Sam asks. 

“It was my idea. His building exploded?”

_“Yeah. Look, we both know it’s probably related to this whole Winter Soldier thing. Early reports look like it’s the same stuff that was used in the other buildings.”_

“Of course. Okay, I’ll be there in an hour. Is everyone else okay?” 

_“Most of the residents were standing outside. Carter says that Steve came pounding on her door maybe ten minutes earlier, he thought the building was on fire. Told her to get everyone out, then call you. Explosion happened before she had the chance.”_

“At least Steve has good instincts _sometimes_.” She hangs up, fighting back a sigh. Clint sets his coffee down.

“Everything okay?” He asks, hands flying through the signs. Natasha rolls her eyes. 

“I’m glad you brought Stark in on this,” she signs, slumping back into her chair. “Rogers is in the hospital.”

“How did that happen?” 

“His apartment building exploded last night. Case related, of course.”

“You going back to DC then?” 

“Wanna come?” Natasha raises an eyebrow as she asks. Clint nods. 

“Someone has to babysit Rogers while you wrap this up.”

“Damn straight.”

**_Quantico_ **

“We have a lead on Scratch’s victim.” Hotch starts. “He was seen at the site of an explosion in the district last night.”

“Casualties?” JJ asks, reaching for the tablet sitting on the table in front of her.

“Several injured, but no deaths. Captain Rogers is currently in the hospital, along with four other residents.”

“Damn. But our guy was there?” Morgan guesses. Hotch nods. 

“Yes. Bomb squad is pretty sure it’s the same bomb type used in the other explosions.”

“Someone should talk to Rogers.” Reid offers. 

“Lewis, head into DC and start setting up interviews. See if Alvez is available, take him with you. Morgan and JJ, head to the site of the explosion. Dave, Reid, we’re staying here. Agent Romanov is on her way.” 

“I’ll put on the coffee.” 

The team disperses quickly, making phone calls as they head towards the elevator. 

“We need to narrow this down.” Spencer starts, settling into a chair next to Penelope. 

“Hit me with it.” 

“Do you have a list of DID patients on the East Coast?” 

“Pulling it up now.” 

“Cross reference that with missing persons; white men, twenties or thirties.” 

“How far back?” 

“Start with the week before the first bombing.” 

“Alright. Men, twenties to thirties, with dissociative identity disorder. I have… three names.”

“Send them to the team?” 

“Oh, honey. You know they’re already sent.”

“Thanks, Garcia.” 

**_Washington, DC_ **

Steve comes to slowly, listening to the steady beeping of a heart monitor. There’s someone sitting by the end of the bed, but Steve ignores that for now, taking stock of his injuries. A few broken ribs, and his ankle feels stiff. Maybe a head injury, he feels a little fuzzy. And it would explain why Bucky Barnes is sleeping at the foot of his bed. 

“Buck?” 

“Hey, punk. Glad you’re up.” 

“Wha’ happened?” 

“Your building exploded. You were standing pretty close.”

“How’d you get here?” And that’s the most pressing question, isn’t it? Steve’s been looking for Bucky for months now. “Been lookin’ for you.” 

“I know, Stevie. ‘M sorry.”

“No, no. Don’ apologize, you got nothin’ to be sorry for. Glad to see you.” 

“Oh, Stevie. You have no idea.” Bucky shakes his head. Steve reaches towards him, as far as the wires attached to his arms will allow. Bucky smiles at him, still looking a little sad, but takes his hand. 

“What do you remember?” 

“More than I want to.” Bucky rubs his free hand - the metal one - through his hair. “I’ve done a lot of bad shit, Steve.” But Steve is shaking his head before Bucky even finishes the sentence. 

“None of that was your fault. We… we found the chair, Buck. Even Tony doesn’t hold any of that against you. Howard and Maria’s kid.” He adds in response to Bucky's clear confusion. 

“God. I didn’t even… Howard was our friend, Steve. And I just…”

“It wasn’t you.” There’s no room for argument, and Bucky knows better than to try when Steve gets like this, so he doesn’t say anything.

“What’s your plan?” Steve asks, breaking the silence they’ve been sitting in.

“Not sure yet. Thought I’d talk to you first. Figure it out from there. You want me around?” 

“Always, Buck. You know that.” 

“I don’t know what’s changed in the last seventy years, Steve.” 

“Nothing. Not when it comes to you.” 

“Flatterer.” But Bucky’s smiling now, a real one. Steve doesn’t think he’s seen anything so beautiful since long before he went into the ice. “How do you feel about taking a… vacation? Of sorts.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“As it turns out, I remember the locations of several important HYDRA bases. Someone has to do something about them.” 

“Wherever you are, that’s where I want to be.” 

“You massive fucking sap.” But they’re both laughing. Steve feels something settle that had been out of place for so long he’d stopped noticing how much it hurt. 

“You’re about to have visitors.” Bucky mutters. “I’ll call you.” He gathers his things, pulls a hat down low over his eyes. 

“Buck,” Steve calls, just before Bucky disappears. “Stay in touch.” 

“Yessir.” 

**_Winchester, VA_ **

The Asset is waiting. He is always waiting. There is nothing left for him to do. His Handler is gone. He failed his mission - the Captain, the Widow, they both live. There is nothing left for him. 

“FBI!” The door flies off its hinges. The SWAT team enters. The Asset fights. There is nothing left for him to do. 

\-- 

“We got a positive ID?” Morgan asks, staring down at the man who’d attacked them. Alvez shakes his head. 

“He’s not carrying any identification. No license, no wallet, nothing. We’re gonna need DNA or dentals or something.” 

“Alright, let's get out of the way, then.” 

**_Quantico_ **

“They got him.” Hotch announces. “He put up a serious fight, but everyone’s okay. They’re coming home.” 

The tension bleeds out of the room. Penelope visibly relaxes. The team is coming home; the man who was convinced he’s the Winter Soldier won’t hurt anyone else. 

“Who’s up for dinner?” Dave asks, “I’m paying.” 

**_Washington, DC_ **

Bucky is waiting when Steve gets out of the hospital. 

“You ready for this, Steve? God knows where we could end up.”

“Let’s go.” 

Bucky nods. Steve takes his hand as they walk to the car. 

###  _“I still believe in heroes.” – Nick Fury_

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> follow me on [tumblr](http://ceilingventclintbarton.tumblr.com)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Wheels Up In 30](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27940364) by [Angst_BuriTTo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angst_BuriTTo/pseuds/Angst_BuriTTo)




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